526 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
June  16,  1904. 
place,  an  artificial  swarm  is  made,  it  will  be  able  to  support 
itself,  produce  brood,  and  it  will  be  in  almost  as  good  a  condition 
as  the  original  colony  in  time  for  the  harvest  which  is  antici¬ 
pated  later.  At  any  rate,  it  is  much  better,  safer,  and  more 
certain  in  such  cases  to  swarm  artificially.  Should  the  weather 
after  the  division  be  wet  or  cold,  and  the  bees  consequently 
unable  to  fly  abroad,  both  the  parent  stock  and  the  swarm 
would  require  feeding,  and  should  be  carefully  covered  up  and 
protected  to  secure  the  best  results. 
When  the  harvest  can  be  depended  upon,  there  is  no  doubt 
that  swarming  and  building  up  is  more  profitable,  as  there 
is  always  the  additional  stock  to  be  considered  as  an  asset,  and 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  control  such  forward  colonies  if  the 
weather  is  indifferent  for  any  length  of  time,  as  it  creates  a 
desire  to  swarm,  which  is  annoying.  It  is  better  to  stimulate 
such  a  stock,  in  fact  to  do  just  the  opposite  for  preventing 
swarms,  and  afterwards  divide,  or  wait  for  the  swarm  to  come 
off  naturally.  When  a  stock  has  the  swarming  fevei;  it  affects 
the  bees  in  a  peculiar  manner,  as,  even  if  the  queen  is  confined 
to  the  hive,  they  will  issue  repeatedly,  which  is  almost  as  great 
a  nuisance,  and  as  long  as  it  continues  they  will  not  work  pro¬ 
perly  ;  and  it  therefore  follows  that  the  bee-keeper  should  keep 
them  free  from  such  influences  if  possible,  if  not,  he  may  lose  a 
great  part  of  his  crop. 
When  once  a  colony  has  acquired  the  swarming  impulse, 
there  is  no  effectual  method  of  preventing  them  coming  off 
except  by  removing  the  queen,  and  afterwards  cutting  out 
(|ueen  cells  as  they  appear,  which  really  means  keejiing  the 
hive  queenless.  Colonies  ^yill  not  swarm  without  queens,  and 
honey  gluts  seldom  continue  for  more  than  a  fortnight,  there- 
foi'e  the  loss  of  brood  during  that  period  would  easily  be  replaced 
by  a  little  attention  in  the  autumn.  This  plan  would  liberate 
more  bees  for  gathering  honey,  and  the  absence  of  the  queen 
would  reduce  the  production  of  brood,  which  would  result  in  a 
corresponding  decrease  in  the  quantity  of  honey  consumed  for 
brood  food,  so  that  it  would  have  its  comiiensations. 
The  more  observant  will  have  noticed  that  some  stocks  which 
have  swarmed  do  better  than  those  v  Inch  have  not,  and  are  apt 
to  conclude  that  swarming  must  therefore  be  beneficial ;  but 
this  is  as  a  rule  due  to  the  old  colony  being  headed  by  a  young 
cpieen,  while  the  one  in  possession  of  those  which  have  not 
swarmed  may  be  old  and  worthless.  The  only  thing  which  may 
rank  as  a  benefit  is  that  the  old  queens  get  replaced  at  swarming 
time.  As  is  no  doubt  api)arent,  success  or  failure  depends  upon 
whether  the  bees  can  be  got  into  supering  condition  again  in 
due  course,  and  this  rests  on  the  discretion  of  the  bee-keeper, 
otherwise  the  best  part  of  the  season  will  be  gone.  The  greatest 
objection  to  natural  swarming  is  that  one  of  the  many  conditions 
essential  to  it  unfortunately  happens  to  be  a  glut  of  honey,  and 
the  swarms  then  leave  just  at  the  most  ino])portune  moment 
for  the  bee-keeper,  who  loses  some  of  the  i-esults  of  their  labour 
unle.ss  they  are  well  managed. — E.  E.,  Sandbach. 
Miscellaneous  and  Trade  Notes.  - 
Messrs.  Cannell’s  New  Branch  Nursery. 
Messrs.  H.  Cannell  and  Sons,  of  Swanley,  have  lately  taken 
over  an  extra  branch  nursery  known  as  Lane’s  Nurserie,s,  Cock- 
mannings,  St.  Mary  Cray,  Kent. 
- - 
Meteorological  Observations  at  Wisley,  Surrey. 
Taken  in  the  Royal  Horticultural  Society’s  Gardens — height 
above  sea  level,  150  feet. 
Date. 
Temperature  of  the 
Air. 
£  ;  Temperature 
3  j  of  the  Soil, 
g  At  9  A.M. 
trtl 
Rain.  | 
Wind. 
© 
s 
"k 
s 
1304. 
At  9  A.M. 
Day. 
Night 
5.S 
c'  At 
At 
At 
c 
_o 
Total 
velocity 
for  the 
24  hours 
ending 
9  a.m. 
.June. 
Dry 
Eulb. 
Wet 
Bulb. 
j  Highest 
Lowest. 
O:  1-ft. 
1  I  deep 
O  ’ 
2-ft. 
deep 
4-ft. 
deep 
o 
(U 
u 
5 
s 
Jl 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg. 
deg !  deg. 
deg. 
dog. 
Ins. 
Miles. 
li.  m. 
Sun.  5 
58 
54 
70 
43 
45  ;  £9 
57 
65 
_ 
N.E. 
181 
12  54 
Mon.  6 
56 
52 
70 
47 
42  59 
58 
64 
N.E. 
217 
7  54 
Tues.  7 
55 
50 
65 
50 
48  i  69 
68 
54 
_ 
E. 
229 
9  12 
M  ed.  8 
61 
48 
62 
47 
44  £8 
58 
65 
_ 
N.E. 
201 
3  E6 
Thurs  y 
62 
47 
68 
47 
45  57 
57 
65 
0-11 
N.E. 
87 
1  51 
Fri.  in 
58 
56 
63 
51 
48  57 
67 
£5 
• 
N.E. 
84 
0  21 
S.at.  11 
54 
£2 
53 
50 
16  ,  67 
£7 
55 
N. 
86 
Total 
Means 
55 
£1 
64 
49 
45  i  68 
57 
55 
0-11 
• - 
155 
5  8 
*^*A11  correspondence  relating  to  editorial  matters  should  be 
directed  to  “  The  Editor,”  12,  Mitre  Court  Chambers, 
Fleet  Street,  London,  E.C.  It  is  requested  that  no  one 
will  write  privately  to  any  of  our  correspondents,  seeking 
information  on  matters  discussed  in  this  Journal,  as  doing 
so  subjects  them  to  unjustifiable  trouble  and  expense.  In 
naming  plants  we  only  undertake  to  name  species,  or  well- 
marked  varieties,  and  only  six  on  any  one  occasion.  Florists’ 
flowers  we  do  not  name. 
SHADE  SCREEN  FOR  FERNS  (South-Western).— It  R 
seldom  that  no  shaded,  sheltered  corners  can  be  found  wherein  lo 
plant  the  finer  ferns,  but  we  suggest  a  screen  of  the  nature  here 
shown  for  your  acceptance.  The  screen  can  be  covered  lightly 
by  summer  creepers  if  you  care. 
AVATER  SUPPLY— SCHIZANTHFS  AVISETONENSIS- 
STREPTOCARPUS  (Kittie). — (1)  Canvas  hose  is  not  a  suitable 
article  for  conveying  water  where  the  pressure  is  such  as  to 
raise  the  water  to  the  height  of  buildings,  though  this  could  be 
regulated  by  the  supply  tap. 
Indiarubber  is  much  better,  and 
cheaper  in  the  end. — (2)  The 
seed  of  the  Schizanthus  should 
be  sown  in  August  or  Septem- 
bei’,  potting  off  the  seedlings 
singly  when  large  enough  to 
handle,  and  the  young  plants 
grown  on  singly  in  a  frame  or 
house  where  frost  is  merely  ex¬ 
cluded.  The  plants,  however, 
should  have  a  position  near  the. 
glass,  and  not  be  overwatered. 
They  may  be  grown  to  flower  in 
Tin  or  Sin  pots  during  early 
spring,  when  the  f)lants  become 
in  a  greenhouse  temperature  a 
mass  of  elegant  foliage  and 
curiously  shaped  flowei’s.  A 
rich  soil  is  advisable  when  the 
plants  are  shifted  into  the 
flowering  pots,  such  as  turfy 
loam,  with  a  third  of  leaf 
mould  or  thoroughly  decayed 
manure,  and  a  sixth  of  sharp 
sand,  adding  a  little  broken 
charcoal,  and  providing  good 
drainage.  —  (3)  Streptocarpus 
but  for  this  purpose  a  warm 
The  seed  inav  be  sown 
A  shade  screen  for  ferns. 
are  easily  raised  from  seed, 
greenhouse  or  stove  is  required, 
in  February,  in  well-drained  pots  or  jians  of  finely  sifted  .soil, 
composed  of  peat,  leaf  mould,  and  sand  in  about  equal  propor¬ 
tions.  After  the  seeds  are  thinly  sown,  and  only  very  lightly 
covered  with  soil,  they  should  be  carefully  watered,  placed  in  a 
temperature  of  about  TOdeg,  and  kept  shaded.  On  the  appear¬ 
ance  of  the  seedlings,  a  sharp  look-out  must  be  kept,  to'pi'event 
them  damping,  and  as  soon  as  large  enough,  they  should  be 
pricked  off,  about  lin  apart,  in  other  pots  of  similar  soil,  and, 
in  due  course,  potted  into  single  ones.  Seedlings  form  good 
plants  and  flower  the  same  season  if  sown  early  and  afterward.s 
grown  on  without  check,  being  shaded  from  bright  sunshine, 
and  in  a  moist,  warm  temperature.  AVhen  in  flower,  they  are 
singularly  fine  for  conservatory  decoration. 
BOOK  ON  FLORAL  DECORATING  (AV.  AAL.  Bangor).— 
No  present  book  on  this  subject  exists,  which  is  one  of  the 
wonders  of  the  world,  seeing  that  the  inquiries  for  such  a  book 
are  legion,  and  the  subject  is  quite  an  easy  one  to  write  upon, 
especially  when  aided  by  photographs. 
PALAI  AAHTH  SCALE  INSECTS  (AV.  AY.).— There  are  two 
species  of  scale  insect  upon  the  palm  leaf  you  have  sent  to  me ; 
(a)  The  long  black  one  is  “  the  black  thread  scale  (Ischnaspis 
filiformis).  (b)  The  short,  pale  yellow  one  is  the  palm  or 
Camellia  scale  (Fiorinia  fioriniie).  Both  insects  are  most  per¬ 
nicious  pe.sts,  and  it  is  oidy  by  repeated  “  washings  ”  that  they 
can  be  de.stroyed. — Robt.  Newstead. 
ROSES  ATTACKED  BY  SMALL  AYHITE  AVORAI  (B.  M., 
Aberdeen). — Try  s.vringing  the  bushes  either  at  evening  or 
morning  with  the  following: — Take  4oz.  of  quassia  chips,  and 
boil  them  ten  minutes  in  a  gallon  of  water;  then  strain  it,  and 
while  cooling,  dissolve  in  it  4oz  of  .softsoap.  To  this  add  another 
gallon  or  two  of  water.  It  is  then  ready  for  use. 
